243 - Uncle Sam (1996) & Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) →

CW: Spousal Abuse, Rape

It’s American Independence Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey celebrate the 4th respectfully and neither kick the tires nor light the fires.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode HERE!

The Classic Film: Uncle Sam (1996)
"Desert Storm vet who was killed in combat rises from the grave on July Fourth, to kill the unpatriotic citizens of his hometown, after some teens burn an American flag over his burial site” (IMDb.com). It's better than we ever could have expected, but that can't hide its most egregious sin: Uncle Sam is mostly a boring movie.

The Modern Film: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
"Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind's new space defenses be enough?” (IMDb.com). The original is by no means a masterpiece, but it made up for it in charisma. This sequel is just catastrophically bad and there's no amount of well-that-was-kinda-neat-I-guess that can make up for it.

Audio Sources:
"Firestarter" written by Liam Howlett, et al., and performed by The Prodigy
"Independence Day" produced by Twentieth Century Fox & Centropolis Entertainment
"Independence Day: Resurgence" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Science Fiction/Double Feature" written by Richard O'Brien & Richard Hartley and performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"South Park" produced by Braniff, et al.
"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" produced by Lucasfilm
"Thank You for Being a Friend" written by Andrew Gold and Performed by Cynthia Fee
"That's My Bush!" produced by Comedy Central, et al.
"Theme from Shaft" composed and performed by Isaac Hayes
"Uncle Sam" produced by A-Pix Entertainment, et al.

240 - Stepfather 3 (1992) & The Wailing (2016) →

CW: Rape, Abuse of a Child with Disabilities, Harm to Animals

It’s Father's Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey get back-alley plastic surgery and second families. Look, it's all very confusing.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode HERE!

The Classic Film: Stepfather 3: Father's Day (1992)
"That psycho stepfather has escaped from the insane asylum and had his face surgically altered. Now he's married again, this time to a woman with a child in a wheelchair. He goes on a killing spree once again” (IMDb.com). It's Stepfather again, only cringier and even more prudish, and this time we don’t even get Terry O'Quinn. It's the epitome of the unnecessary sequel.

The Modern Film: The Wailing (2016)
"Soon after a stranger arrives in a little village, a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman, drawn into the incident, is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter” (IMDb.com). The Wailing is a beautiful and very well-made but entirely too long movie with, ultimately, not a lot to say of substance about its subjects of choice.

Audio Sources:
"Eat Like an American" (from "Beyond the Pale") written and performed by Jim Gaffigan
"Happy Together" written by Gary Bonner & Alan Gordon and performed by the Turtles
"Hellraiser" (1987) produced by New World Pictures, et al.
"Jacob's Ladder" (1990) produced by Carolco Pictures
"Skyfire Cycle" (Brooklyn Nine-Nine S04E08) produced by Fremulon, et al.
"Stepfather" (1987) produced by Incorporated Television Company
"Stepfather 3" produced by Incorporated Television Company & Trimark Pictures
"The Wailing" produced by Fox International Production, et al.
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" produced by Wolper Pictures

238 - Jacob's Ladder (1990) & Overlord (2018) →

CW: PTSD, Rape

It’s Memorial Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey honor our nation's fallen military personnel by watching two movies with very different vibes all about military experimentation on human bodies. Don't worry—it's not all a downer.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode HERE!

The Classic Film: Jacob's Ladder (1990)
"Mourning his dead child, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death” (IMDb.com). Jacob's Ladder is some important and heavy stuff, but that doesn't give it a free pass that its message and its context are almost completely divorced from one another, leading to a dilution of both.

The Modern Film: Overlord (2018)
"A small group of American soldiers finds horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day” (IMDb.com). Overlord isn't much of a thinker, but it's consistently exciting and engaging for its entire runtime.

Audio Sources:
"Jacob's Ladder" (1990) produced by Carolco Pictures
"Overlord" (2018) produced by Bad Robot & Paramount Pictures

234 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 (1989) & Under The Shadow (2016) →

CW: Rape, Abortion, Addiction, Eating Disorders

It’s Mother's Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey learn about the perils of motherhood and all the demons that come with it.
Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
"The pregnant Alice finds Freddy Krueger striking through the sleeping mind of her unborn child, hoping to be reborn into the real world” (IMDb.com). It's happened. Nightmare on Elm Street is bad now. But don't worry—it gets worse.

The Modern Film: Under the Shadow (2016)
"As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home” (IMDb.com). More Persian mythology as metaphor made by Persians, please.

Audio Sources:
"Lawnmower Dog" (Rick & Morty S01E02) produced by Harmonius Claptrap, et al.
"Let's Go" written by Ric Ocasek and performed by The Cars
"Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" produced by Panic Productions & 1428 Films
"A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"Under the Shadow" produced by Wigwam Films, et al.

232 - Little Shop of Horrors (1986) & The Happening (2008) →

CW: Domestic Abuse

It’s Earth Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey give off good vibes and talk in a very positive manner about plants—but are sure not to feed them!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
"A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed” (IMDb.com). Little Shop of Horrors is wonderful and joyous and great and shut up if you don't like it.

The Modern Film: The Happening (2008)
"A science teacher, his wife, and a young girl struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide” (IMDb.com). The Happening is famously maligned as confirmation that M. Night Shyamalan's promising star had faded. You could argue that the wooden acting and silly-but-melodramatic premise are an intentional homage to 50s B-movies, but if that's the case, Shyamalan didn't go hard enough.

Audio Sources:
"An American Tail" produced by Don Bluth Productions, et al.
"Anne Hathaway/The Killers" (Saturday Night Live S34E04) produced by Broadway Video, et al.
"The Happening" (2008) produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" written by Julie Brown, et al., and performed by Julie Brown
"Little Shop of Horrors" (1986) produced by The Geffen Company
"Nightmare on Mother Brain's Street" (Captain N: The Game Master S01E09) produced by Saban Productions
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Martin" (1992 TV Series) produced by You Go Boy! Productions & HBO Independent Productions
"Take My Breath Away" written by Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock and performed by Berlin

231 - Day of the Dead (1985) & Train to Busan (2016) →

It’s Resurrection Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey have maybe seen one too many zombie movies, so it's a good thing both of these are pretty great.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Day of the Dead (1985)
"Trapped in a missile silo, a small team of scientists, civilians, and trigger-happy soldiers battle desperately to ensure the survival of the human race. However, the tension inside the base is reaching a breaking point, and the zombies are gathering outside” (IMDb.com). The final installment of George A. Romero's original undead trilogy, Day of the Dead is a little slower than the others but a lot more brutal.

The Modern Film: Train to Busan (2016)
"While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan” (IMDb.com). Zombie tropes and Korean melodrama are the order of the day, but Train to Busan is still exceptionally made and full of great characters and moments.

Audio Sources:
"Day of the Dead" (1985) produced by United Film Distribution Company & Laurel Entertainment Inc.
"The Door" (Game of Thrones S06E05) produced by Television 360, et al.
"The Langoliers" (1995 TV Mini-Series) produced by Laurel Entertainment Inc., et al.
"M1 A1" written by Damon Albarn & John Harrison and performed by Gorillaz
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Train to Busan" produced by Next Entertainment World, et al.

227 - Leprechaun 4 (1996) & Boys from County Hell (2020) →

CW: Sexual Assault, Transmisogyny, Suicide

It’s St. Patrick's Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey are in space now for some reason, investigating the source of the Dracula mythos.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)
"Our deadly leprechaun is in space to woo a beautiful princess who is impressed with his gold and desires to separate him from it” (IMDb.com). It's not like the franchise could ever really be accused of "trying," but this movie would be bad even by porn standards if there were any actual sex in it.

The Modern Film: Boys from County Hell (2020)
"A crew of hardy road workers, led by a bickering Father and Son, must survive the night when they accidentally awaken an ancient Irish vampire” (IMDb.com). In the vein of other Irish horror-comedies like pod-favorite Grabbers, Boys from County Hell is a clever take on classic tropes that's worth your time.

Audio Sources:
"Boys from County Hell" produced by Six Mile Hill Productions
"The Crucible" (1996) produced by Twentieth Century Fox
"Die Hard" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Home Improvement" produced by Wind Dancer Productions
"Leprechaun 4: In Space" produced by Blue Rider Pictures
"Meet the Cast | Willow | Disney+" via Lucasfilm @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPqk9k91TEk
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Robot Chicken: Star Wars III" produced by Stoopid Monkey, et al.

224 - The Dead Zone (1983) & Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) →

CW: Suicide, Molestation

It’s Presidents' Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey can see the future and the future is fighting a mummy with JFK!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: The Dead Zone (1983)
"A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability” (IMDb.com). Cronenberg, King, and Walken sound like a can't-miss combination, and—for the most part—it is. Strangely, especially considering the names, it isn't very horrific, though.

The Modern Film: Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
"Elvis Presley and a black JFK stay in a nursing home where nothing happens—until a wayward Egyptian mummy comes and sucks out the old people's souls thru their a-holes. The two decide to fight back” (IMDb.com). Bubba Ho-Tep was a pretty big deal in certain circles when it came out. Of course, it was. I mean, the cast and concept alone are killer. Right?

Audio Sources:
"Bubba Ho-Tep" produced by Silver Sphere Corporation
"The Dead Zone" produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company & Lorimar Film Entertainment
"Fight Club" produced by Fox 2000 Pictures, et al.
"Maximum Overdrive" produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
"My Name is Bruce" produced by Dark Horse Entertainment & Image Entertainment\
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Pet Sematary" (2019) produced by Paramount Pictures, et al.
"The Raven" (from Hal Willner's "Closed On Account Of Rabies") written by Edgar Allan Poe and performed by Christopher Walken
"Team America: World Police" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al.

223 - Bride of Chucky (1998) & My Valentine (2020) →

CW: Emotionally and physically abusive relationships, Manipulation, Gaslighting, Suicide, Rape

It’s Valentine's Day and that means it's Toxic Relationships Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey play couples-therapists to murderous dolls and a love triangle! Plus, Kelsey is very pleased with herself for coming up with so many relevant break-up songs!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Bride of Chucky (1998)
"Chucky, the doll possessed by a serial killer, discovers the perfect mate to kill and revive into the body of another doll” (IMDb.com). Believe it or not: we really enjoyed the Tiffany/Chucky dynamic and the silly/serious juxtaposition, but you can see where the franchise is headed and, based on the last scene, we're not looking forward to it.

The Modern Film: My Valentine (2020)
"A pop singer's songs and artistic identity have been stolen by her ex-boyfriend/manager and shamelessly pasted onto his new girlfriend/protégé. Locked together in a small concert venue after hours, the three of them confront the emotional abuses of the past...until things turn violent” (IMDb.com). The filmmakers responsible for My Valentine may not have made the most original product themselves (especially when you know the real story), but at least the fun they were having bleeds out of the screen (and the speakers).

Audio Sources:
"Black Sheep" written by Emily Haines & James Shaw and performed by Metric
"Chicago" (2002) produced by Miramax, et al.
"Clue" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al.
"deja vu" written by Olivia Rodrigo, et al., and performed by Olivia Rodrigo
"Heartbeats" written by Karin Dreijer & Olof Dreijer and performed by The Knife
"I Want You Back" written by The Corporation and performed by The Jackson 5
"I Will Survive" written by Freddie Perren & Dino Fekaris and performed by Gloria Gaynor
"Irreplaceable" written by Beyoncé Knowles, et al., and performed by Beyoncé
"The Lion King" (1994) produced by Walt Disney Pictures & Walt Disney Animation Studios
"My Name is Bruce" produced by Dark Horse Entertainment & Image Entertainment
"My Valentine" (Into the Dark S02E05) produced by Blumhouse Television & Hulu
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"The Scientist" written by Chris Martin, et al., and performed by Coldplay
"Sweatpants" written by Donald Glover, et al., and performed by Childish Gambino ft. Problem
"Thank You for Smoking" produced by Room 9 Entertainment
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor's Version)" written by Taylor Swift, et al., and performed by Taylor Swift
"With or Without You" written and performed by U2

216 - Angel Heart (1987) & Midnight Kiss (2019) →

CW: Sexual Assault, Rape, Incest

It’s New Year's Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey spend the last show of the year looking for someone to kiss at midnight.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Angel Heart (1987)
"A private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn” (IMDb.com). Mickey Rourke gets really melodramatic in probably one of his best roles opposite a Robert De Niro the likes of which you've likely never seen before. Angel Heart doesn't really stick the landing, but it's a beautiful and troubling movie.

The Modern Film: Midnight Kiss (2019)
"Midnight Kiss follows a group of longtime gay best friends and their straight female bestie as they head to a beautiful desert home to celebrate New Year's Eve. One of their annual traditions is to play a game called Midnight Kiss... [but] the group faces another challenge when a sadistic killer wants in on the game” (IMDb.com). Part of Hulu's Into the Dark series of holiday horror movies, Midnight Kiss does what no other movie in the series we've seen so far has been able to do and actually delights us.

Audio Sources:
"Angel Heart" produced by Carolco International N.V., et al.
"Anything Can Happen Day" (from The Mickey Mouse Club) written and performed by Jimmie Dodd
"Anything Could Happen" written by Ellie Goulding & Jim Eliot and performed by Ellie Goulding
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" produced by Dramatic Features & Warfield
"James McAvoy/Meek Mill" (Saturday Night Live S44E11) produced by Broadway Video & SNL Studios
"Midnight Kiss" (Into the Dark S02E04) produced by Blumhouse Television & Hulu
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"psa if youre a shit talking director make sure to mute ur shit on zoom mtgings" via @lukasgage at https://twitter.com/lukasgage/status/1329891756020695041?s=20
"The Santa Clause" produced by Walt Disney Pictures, et al.